Evwreni

Evwreni is a town in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. It is an oil-producing area that has about 14 oil wells, with flow and compressor stations operated by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria.

It is 154.6 kilometres by road to Port Harcourt and 45.3 kilometres to Warri.

The Evwreni Kingdom

Evwreni is a cultural unit of the Urhobo ethnic nationality, the Ovie of Evwreni Kingdom is the traditional leader of the clan which is made up of four major communities (also referred to as quarters), they include Urevwe, Okpawha, Uneni and Unenurhie, the other minor quarters are Erhurigbedi, Ivwrorode and Iwrorha.[1]

Communal Crisis

Disputes over the distribution of oil royalties and agitations, mainly from the Unenurhie community, to be recognized as a separate kingdom,[2][3] has resulted in recurrent communal clashes.[4] On 20 January 2020, the traditional ruler of Evwreni, Ovie Owin Kumani was reportedly dethroned and murdered by angry youths that were dissatisfied over an alleged embezzlement of royalties paid to the community by the Shell Petroleum Development Company.[5][6]

Natural Resources

Evwreni is an oil-rich community that is host to about 14 oil wells that feed the Evwreni flowstation that was commissioned in 1967. This onshore facility is equipped with one stabilization train and has a total installed capacity of 30,000 barrels of oil per day.[7]

References

1. Ekeh, Peter (1937). History of the Urhobo people of Niger Delta. New York: Urhobo Historical Society. p. 126. ISBN 9789780772888.
2. Young Erhiurhoro (February 11, 2022). "Unenurhie: A Kingdom Long Denied In Evwreni". PH Mundial. Archived from the original on February 11, 2022. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
3. Young Erhiurhoro (May 19, 2020). "How Unenurhie Was Relegated To The Background In Urhobo Nation". Urhobo Today. Archived from the original on November 28, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
4. Dele Ogunyemi (June 11, 2022). "Communal crisis: Delta monarch, two others for arraignment Oct 25". Punch. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
5. Victor Ofure Osehobo (January 31, 2000). "Nigeria: Evwreni, a town in Delta State, explodes with a string of murders". All Africa. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
6. Ganagana, Murphy (28 November 2020). "Delta community on fire". Guardian. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
7. "OML30 Operations". Shore Natural Resources. 15 July 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.